Breaking Loose [Original]

3

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Three
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"Plain black coffee, just as you like it"

"Thanks Harry," Asher pulled a small smile at the man's kindness.

She had two people who seemed to care.

Now it was one.

"What's wrong?"

She sighed and looked up from her steaming cup "Life"

Harry had a knowing smile. He may have lost his youthfulness to ageing yet the glint in his amber eyes remained.

"Been there," he shrugged "It's all good, you know. HE has your back. Always" he encouraged, pointing up.

HE.

Of course.

Everyone but her believed there was a God hidden somewhere behind the clouds. How lovely.

"Again. Thanks"

"Don't mention. I'm always here if you need to talk"

She had a tight smile...an uncertain one.

She had only started opening up to Laramie, until she left. As it stood, Asher wasn't sure she wanted anyone hearing her boring tales.

Even when Harry was the first person she'd met when she first moved there, she just couldn't get herself to. Harry was the everyone's guy who was just hard to not get to know. Everyone knew the Bean House. Everyone knew it had the best coffee.

"It's the way his works are very exquisite..." She heard Harry explain to some other customer. They were staring at a phone and she was normally going to walk away when Harry looked up and smiled, he showed her what they had been looking at "It's this phoenix guy," he shrugged

She swallowed slowly when her eyes glossed over the photo. It was the most recent town hall vandalism, her painting.

"Police have been on his tail for months! He's good, really" the other man said after sipping his coffee.

At least they believed it's a he.

"Yeah..." She averted her eyes "Bye Harry"
She waved him goodbye before leaving the shop.

She'd never been so tensed.

The Bean House was a second home. She'd spent more than half of her miserable life getting drunk on coffee.

She couldn't do without that bittersweetness.

She let her beat up Converse scuff dust along the stony sidewalk as her grey eyes watched Birchwood Bay go by.

Everyone seemed happy, it showed in their eyes, smiles and peppy steps. They seemed to not have a care in the world as they jostled about their daily lives.

Something about that made her lightheaded.

She could disappear from town and nobody would even know. That's how fast the tide swept across the town. Nobody cared about what did not concern them. She could live a peaceful life if she chose. She could go on the streets dressed as a clown and nobody would bat an eyelid.

As always, the world would be revolving, regardless.

When she walked by the town hall, a small crowd had formed around her latest work.

The one everyone in town seemed to be talking about.

She painted it the day after Lara blocked her. The night when her nightmares resurfaced in full.

BENEATH.

A depiction of a girl whose one eye caged in another smaller version of herself. A more terrified her.

There is always more to people than it actually seems.

She waited to cross the street, while watching the glee in their eyes as they scrutinized every detail. Some took photographs. Others seemed disappointed.

Asher couldn't be more smug.

She crossed the road eventually because she had to get to class for a boring hour and half long anatomy lecture.

She hated life.

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Author: The size of this chapter is deliberate. I will continue in the next.

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